The Eternal Stranger

[Verse 1] He came down the winter road Coat black as the crows above Boots muddy from a thousand towns Eyes starved for a little love He asked for a match and a name You smiled like you’d known him before His stories tasted of iron and rain Like prayer smoke under your door [Chorus] He’s the eternal stranger Sleeping in your favorite dream Leaving muddy handprints On the corners of your seams You trace his shadow on your skin Like an ancient Secret sign Oh eternal stranger How many lives have crossed with mine [Verse 2] Cards laid on an old oak table Your candle burned low and thin He laughed at the fate they promised Said “I’ve lost that game again” He hummed an old forest melody Words older than churchyard stone You answered with a trembling harmony Felt the wild roots take your bones [Chorus] He’s the eternal stranger Sleeping in your favorite dream Leaving muddy handprints On the corners of your seams You trace his shadow on your skin Like an ancient Secret sign Oh eternal stranger How many lives have crossed with mine [Bridge] You drew a circle in the dirt (hey) Spoke his name in autumn air Ash on your lips Salt on your tongue He only smiled “I won’t stay there” Because he’s bound to the border Between the living and the lost You kissed his scarred and wandering hands Like they were worth the cost [Chorus] He’s the eternal stranger Sleeping in your favorite dream Leaving muddy handprints On the corners of your seams You trace his shadow on your skin Like an ancient Secret sign Oh eternal stranger Walk my veins Not just my mind [Outro] If you pass my gate again Under frost or summer rain Come in Lay your stories down Let my heart be your terrain